Working on a Nitro FC team............ (1 Viewer)

[ironpony]

Pros?? Cons??? personal experience ?? I am curious as to how it really works.

 

[NITRO JUNKIE]

Pros?? Cons??? personal experience ?? I am curious as to how it really works.

Good video I heard new crew members get paid 28,000 to 32,000 a year. I want to do it to. From what I heard get your truck driver license before your interview because they might need you the next day.

 

[Jer]

I always wondered about the small stuff,like does the whole team stay at the same hotel,including cc and driver? Do they always eat toghther and go to tne races toghther,do the cc and drivers go back to the hotel before the crew? I know its prob not an option but id prefer my own room lol

 

[Z28LT1]

Good video I heard new crew members get paid 28,000 to 32,000 a year. I want to do it to. From what I heard get your truck driver license before your interview because they might need you the next day.

They make more than that.

 

[PJ]

We have several people on here who have or are currently on teams. hopefully they will chime in for you

 

[TSK]

I’ve worked on The Invader NFC team. We are racing at Funny Car Chaos in Denton, TX next weekend.
As far as pay for a big show team, I cannot relate to that. We are an all volunteer team. Besides, the owner is a tightwad. But he is racing out of his own pocket.
We each have to pay our own way, including fuel, food and hotel room. For those who are not retired, they have to schedule time away from their job.
Working on scorching hot engine parts, in summer heat, is the least fun of the deal. But, once that engine fires and we get a good whiff of CH3NO2, all the hard work is forgotten.
And, absolutely nobody need crack a beer until the crew chief does so first, which is only after the car is serviced and put up for the day. These cars can hurt you very quickly.
It’s tough enough for us to go to one race a year, I can only imagine what a full time, big show crew person has to sacrifice in order to be gone most of the year.
I bet their salaries sound good as a total number. But, don’t break it down into an hourly wage. It will probably be way below minimum.

 

[Dan]

Well pay depends on team and skill level just like every job obviously crew cheif makes the most and say on a funny car tire and body guy which is where you would start makes the least.....there is also bonuses for winning you will make more having a CDL as well....yes the whole team stays in the same hotel every car I work on we do 2 guys in a room....crew all rides together to the track in the tow car on touring cars they usually leave hotel 4 or 4 1/2hrs before first run of the day....during the weekend the big teams have chefs now so they eat at the track on dakins we bring a grill with us and just make food a couple times a day

 

[Dan]

And yes no cocktails till car is in the trailer lol

 

[Jer]

Well pay depends on team and skill level just like every job obviously crew cheif makes the most and say on a funny car tire and body guy which is where you would start makes the least.....there is also bonuses for winning you will make more having a CDL as well....yes the whole team stays in the same hotel every car I work on we do 2 guys in a room....crew all rides together to the track in the tow car on touring cars they usually leave hotel 4 or 4 1/2hrs before first run of the day....during the weekend the big teams have chefs now so they eat at the track on dakins we bring a grill with us and just make food a couple times a day

Years ago id see some crews guys pounding shots and then work the Next day when its 95 degrees, i couldnt do it lol. Im pretty sure some teams dont allow drinking???

 

[Dan]

Yeah some teams dont allow drinking in the pits depends on the team most dont care but obviously there is a difference between having a drink after long day and getting stupid

 

[Huge]

Good video I heard new crew members get paid 28,000 to 32,000 a year. I want to do it to. From what I heard get your truck driver license before your interview because they might need you the next day.

I see the video is taken at the Holiday Inn in Bristol VA...the same place I stayed at with Bob Bode racing and still stay at with Jim Dunn Racing.

 

[Jer]

I see the video is taken at the Holiday Inn in Bristol VA...the same place I stayed at with Bob Bode racing and still stay at with Jim Dunn Racing.

I stayed there ONCE,they had everything all screwed up. I dont stay there anymore lol

 

[Bruno]

Along these lines, there are two things, that as a business owner, I question. First, I would be curious to see their Worker's Comp rates. This trade is more dangerous than roofing and their rates are exorbitant. Second, how do they get around the Department of labor with overtime pay? Crew members are not in a management position so they cannot use that as an excuse. To say that your pay is X amount and it is based on X hours a week doesn't fly either. You can say that your pay is based on 40 hours of straight time and 20 hours of overtime at time and a half but you still need to keep a time card. Salary based employees (which is what they are) are still required by law to be paid overtime over 40. My son worked on a pro team for a bit as a supercharger tech and driver of the rig but this stuff was not brought up to the best of my knowledge. Most are happy just to land one of these jobs. These are sizable companies - from the Wilkersons of the sport where it may be a $1-3M "business" to the DSR's with 120 employees. It seems unfair to me that they can somehow skate around the overtime issues. Then throw in OSHA......that could be a whole other thread!

 

[Z28LT1]

Second, how do they get around the Department of labor with overtime pay? Crew members are not in a management position so they cannot use that as an excuse. Salary based employees (which is what they are) are still required by law to be paid overtime over 40. My son worked on a pro team for a bit as a supercharger tech and driver of the rig but this stuff was not brought up to the best of my knowledge. Most are happy just to land one of these jobs. These are sizable companies - from the Wilkersons of the sport where it may be a $1-3M "business" to the DSR's with 120 employees. It seems unfair to me that they can somehow skate around the overtime issues. Then throw in OSHA......that could be a whole other thread!

I have been a salaried employee for most of my adult working life and have never been in a management position. No one in the history of salaried employees anywhere I've ever been employed has ever been paid more to when working extra hours. When you receive your compensation package, they are paying you to get your job done. Not get it done in 40 hours, or get extra if you don't. If that was the case all salaried employees would drag their feet to get a little extra, hence defeating the purpose of being salaried.

*EDIT*
Just found this on the Google. I sure the touring guys make about this much to start.

"The change under the Fair Labor Standards Act doubles the annual salary threshold — to $47,476 from the current $23,660 — that generally determines who qualifies for overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours a week. That means salaried workers who earn less than $47,476 will now be eligible for overtimepay."

 

[Treeshaker]

Do you expect to earn a salary when you go to school to learn a trade? To me, to be able to earn $26k plus all expenses to learn the racing trade sounds like a good deal. Apply yourself and the earnings will rise quickly. As in all businesses, the people who supply answers thrive, and the ones constantly asking questions wilt and die on the vine. Good appearance, respect, self motivation, dependability and clean lifestyle are the important things owners look for along with the mechanical aptitude when seeking employees. If your private life is a mess, your work habits will be also.

Our worker's comp insurance was very low because in the 6 years we ran two cars full time and the 15 years part time, we only had one claim and that was for metal in an eye because the employee didn't wear his safety glasses while grinding a part.

 

[Dan]

I am with virgil on this one....I worked on a fuel car for 10 years before I even got paid the gas money I spent

 

[Jim]

NATE >>>>>*EDIT*
Just found this on the Google. I sure the touring guys make about this much to start.

"The change under the Fair Labor Standards Act doubles the annual salary threshold — to $47,476 from the current $23,660 — that generally determines who qualifies for overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours a week. That means salaried workers who earn less than $47,476 will now be eligible for overtimepay."

<<<<<
'Fraid this is the world we live in today - Everybody is equal -- union mentality (and I support the basic aims of unions)
You take a job knowing the expectations but some labor lawyer or government functionary decides you need to be protected

Most ridiculous application of this mentality (implemented some years ago) Salvation Army Christmas Bellringer volunteers needed to be paid minimum wage - volumteers.

PS: Being an entrepreneur, there were lots of times when I wished I could earn minimum wage.

 

[TSK]

If you go asking for a job that you know is going to require more than 40 hours per week, each week, and the boss says you will earn X dollars per year, and you agree to it, I don't think you should have a claim for overtime pay.

 

[NITRO JUNKIE]

If you go asking for a job that you know is going to require more than 40 hours per week, and the boss says you will earn X dollars per year, and you agree to it, I don't think you should have a claim for overtime pay.

I don’t see why the boss would say no to overtime, maybe if it was a low budget team , personally I would work overtime any day I was in the shop even if I didn’t get paid overtime, I would come in on weekends to.

 

[TSK]

A reasonable person would know being on a car crew is going to require a lot more than 40 hours per week. If that same person agrees to what the boss say the job requires and pays, that person is not entitled to anything more.
Don't like it? See ya.
Now, if the boss thinks you've earned a bonus, great. But, a bonus is just that, a bonus. It's not to be expected.